All Things Brought To Light
by The Character's Death
Summary: Aoshi, having gotten into some trouble, finds himself in a therapists office. But could his therapist, the red-haired man with the peculiar speech patter, be hiding a secret or two himself?(Had to bump the rating from K to T, due to content in Chaper 4) Please read and review. Opinions and advice always welcome! Disclaimer: I don't own Rurouni Kenshin. *Complete*
1. And So We Meet

He just stood there, paused outside the door at the end of a winding corridor. He read the name on the door silently, several times with his icy stare. 'Dr Himura Kenshin, LCPC' it read. A silent sigh escaped his lips, inaudible to the human ear…or so he had thought.

"It is okay to come in, that it is." Came a muffled voice from behind the door.

But how? His eye narrowed the slightest margin, never changing the cold, reserved expression on his face. Stealth was second nature to him. He lived his life as a ghost in the shadow, allowing him to excel at his 'profession,' if that is what you could really call it. Never the less, he turned the door knob slowly and entered the room without a sound.

Upon entering he automatically began to memorize the details of the room, another tell-tail sigh of what he was. Then his steely gaze penetrated the man sitting at the desk centered precisely in the middle of the room. Had he to guess, he imagined that there had been actual measurement to ensure the exact placement of every piece of furniture in the office, most notably a sheathed katana mounted on the wall directly behind the desk. The man sitting at the desk looked up from a file he had in his hand. A serene expression and gentle smile played across the man's face, making the x-shaped scar on his left cheek seem very out of place. He was use to people posturing in his presence in order hide their uneasiness around him, however this man showed no signs of being uncomfortable. In fact the man, with his bright red hair and unusual speech pattern, appeared perfectly calm, never averting his gentle gaze.

"You are right on time, that you are." The words coming in an almost sing-song tone. "Please, have a seat." And with that he sat opposite the man at the desk.

"Would you like something to drink?" The man asked, the kind smile never leaving his lips.

"Green tea." He answered monotony, his cool demeanor never faltering as he grew more perplexed by the man sitting at the desk.

"So, Shinamori Aoshi. Do you know why you are here?" The man asked, breaking the last 15 minutes of silence between the two men.

"Do you?" He responded, his icy blue eyes peering through his jet black bangs.

"Oh yes. This one read your file, that he did." The red-haired man said with a smile. "And this one is quite impressed, that he is. But this one will ask again. Do _you_ know why you are here?" He asked more pointedly, not backing down from Aoshi's intimidation.

"Aa." Aoshi responded matter-of-factly, not breaking his gaze from the red-haired man.

"This is good to hear, that it is. It will make less work for this one!" The red-haired man responded in a happy tone, giving a sincere smile. "And this one will be able to begin asking the really important questions, that he will."

The red-haired man sifted through the file he had been holding with a level of agility that Aoshi was eerily familiar with. Aoshi waited, watching the man carefully. The absent-minded, carefree expression on the man's face did not seem to match the nimble movements of his fingers as he finally stumbled upon what he had been looking for.

"It says here that you were charged with 15 counts of assault, that you were." The red-haired man began, maintaining his cordial demeanor while reading the file. "You single-handedly took down 15 heavily armed men outside of a local tea house with a single…kodatchi." He raised an eyebrow, dubiously eyeing Aoshi.

"Aa." Aoshi confirmed, his voice laced with cold indifference.

"Kodachis are normally used as defensive weapons, that they are." The red-haired man stated. "Yet the report clearly states that you were the one on the offensive, that you were." Aoshi simply met this observation with his characteristic stoicism, though it made him curious.

"You know about weaponry." It was not a question, but statement, as Aoshi knew this to be true.

"This one was not born a therapist, that he was not." The red-haired man smiled brightly.

"Really…" Aoshi said, successfully concealing his interest in this new-found information.

Aoshi simply closed his eyes, pondering the situation unfolding in front of him. First, he found the whole idea of therapy an affront to his dignity. He would have preferred some form of incarceration. And then there was this man in front of him, an enigma that caused a growing vexation within Aoshi. As he reflected on his situation he could feel the man at the desk observing him carefully.

"Something is on your mind, that it is." The red-haired man came gently, breaking Aoshi's meditation.

"Aa." Aoshi responded honestly, lying being beneath him, as he kept his eyes closed.

"Care to elaborate?" With that Aoshi opened his eyes slowly, a smirk playing on the corner of his lips.

"No." Point, set, match.

"At some point you will be expected to say _something_, that you will." The red-haired man raised an eyebrow, though showed no signs of irritation or being ruffled.

"I thought I had…" His reply came cold and emotionless making the red-haired man chuckle, a response Aoshi was not expecting.

"It has been a while since this one had such a difficult opponent." The red-haired man smiled brightly, causing Aoshi's gaze to narrow imperceptivity.

'Opponent' he said. So that was how this was going to be. That was fine with Aoshi. If this man was looking for an opponent, he certainly had the capacity to comply. But would the red-haired man make it worth his while?

"My, my! Look at that. Our time is up, that it is." The red-haired man said warmly as he stood up from his desk to shake Aoshi's hand. "It was a pleasure meeting you, that it was." As Aoshi stood to tower over him the difference in their height became almost comical.

Upon Aoshi's departure the red-haired man sat back at his desk, a warm smile playing across his face. He began to stack the files on his desk into a neat, orderly pile, and meticulously organizing each item on his desk. Then he shook his head with a light chuckle as he went over the session in his head.

"He will be a handful, that he will." He sighed.

And so…the game was on.


	2. Weakness Thy Name is Grief

The two men sat quietly, peering at each other over their cups of tea. Aoshi had gown accustom to being greeted with a warm smile and preemptive hot cup of green tea at the beginning of his sessions. A fact he did not necessarily appreciate. To make matters worse, he was no closer to figuring out his opponent. At this point Aoshi usually managed to fracture the façade of most men, ferreting out their weakness. He simply could not bring himself to believe that this man had no weakness. Everyone had a weakness. Everyone. Aoshi found himself disappointed. He prided himself on being a quick study of human behavior, a necessity that made him exceptional at what he did.

"Still trying to figure this one out?" Kenshin smiled brightly, having come to expect his client's silent inquisition. "It might be a more productive use of your time to figure yourself out, that it might."

"Perhaps." Aoshi conceded impassively.

"Good. This one is curious to know exactly what you had planned to accomplish that night at the tea house, that he is." Kenshin very pointedly stated, carefully watching Aoshi's expression which gave away…nothing.

"With all your powers of observation, you do not know?" The words came slowly, purposely, as a challenge.

"This one has a theory, that he does." Kenshin came seriously.

"Really…" Aoshi found himself insulted that this man presumed him to be so transparent.

"Why are you here, Aoshi?" Kenshin enunciated each word, the characteristic smile no longer on his face.

"Because I have to be." Aoshi response was cold and to the point, his ice-blue stare locked on his therapist.

"It is true that you are here as part of a mandate for your assault charge, that it is. However, this one has come to find that you are a man who does precisely what he intends to, that you do." Kenshin met his hard gazes with a calm, steady look of his own. "This one doubts very much that anyone could _make_ you come here, that he does…if that is not what you wished."

"Is _that_ your theory? That I attacked those men because I _wanted_ to?" Aoshi remained composed, with no tell to give away his growing irritation.

"Nope!" Kenshin chimed happily, reverting to his more pleasant nature. "Though this one does not doubt that you were looking for a fight, that you were." He smiled, reading Aoshi's almost imperceptive frustration. "But this one suspects that there was more to it, that he most certainly does."

"And what might that be." Aoshi feigned indifference.

"Well." Kenshin began slowly. "A man with your level of discipline and self control does not engage in such reckless, dangerous, and potentially self-destructive behavior without reason." He looked over Aoshi carefully before continuing. "Usually, when these things happen, such behavior is preceded by a traumatic event, that it is." And with that Aoshi visibly tensed.

"Is that so…" Aoshi responded stoically, though inwardly he was disturbed by how difficult he found it to remain impassive around this man.

"Think about it. You carry yourself with a level of restraint that this one finds quite admirable, that he does. You have a well developed internal sense of honor and duty, shown by the fact that you always arrive on time to you sessions when you could easily choose to avoid them all together, that you could. Then you proceed to single-handedly assault 15 heavily armed men without provocation, very nearly killing at least 7 of them." Then Kenshin continued incredulously. "Even though you may not have been provoked, this one has a _very_ hard time believing that you acted for no reason, that he does."

"I do not see how my reason would be relevant to the event." Aoshi stated coldly as he stared indifferently at his adversary.

"The reason is always relevant, or this one would not waste your time discussing the matter, that he would not." Kenshin spoke matter-of-factly, ignoring his client's attempt at deflection.

The two sat in silence staring at each other, Aoshi growing more unnerved under Kenshin's penetrating gaze. Aoshi could feel himself becoming aggravated as he watched Kenshin's attempt to read him. After several minutes Kenshin's inquisitive expression finally smoothed over into his characteristic smile, making Aoshi uneasy.

"You seem unwilling to talk about the reason behind your actions, that you do.." Kenshin mused, breaking the silent stand off.

"Aa." The response came cold and emotionless, though Aoshi found himself quite relieved that he had successfully avoided the question.

"Then shall we talk about something else?" Kenshin offered, and suddenly the relief Aoshi felt was gone.

"If that is what you wish." Aoshi stated indifferently, casting his cold gaze to the floor.

"It is." Kenshin confirmed warmly before continuing. "This one wonders what happened to you to cause such contradictory behavior and conduct, that he does." He paused slightly, taking in Aoshi's perpetually indifferent expression before beginning again. "Here is this one's theory. It is clear that you are a man who prefers to be in control, that you are. In control of your emotions. In control of your actions. In control of your environment and the events that occur around you. That being established, this one believes that something happened that you had absolutely no control over, that he does." He turned his inquisitive gaze on Aoshi, who finally looked up from the floor with an icy stare.

"Get to the point." Aoshi's voice came flat, though he was unconsciously clenching his fists.

"Aoshi." Kenshin's voice came in a low, hushed whisper. "Who is it that you are mourning for?"

And with that Kenshin simply watched in amazement as minute expressions flashed violently across Aoshi's face. The mask of composure and indifference had fractured revealing a flood of shock, confusion, irritation, and pain before Aoshi stooped forward to hide his face. It was several minutes before the silence was again broken. This time, to Kenshin's complete surprise, by Aoshi.

"I believe…" He began slowly, in a low tone, keeping his head down. "That we are done."

"We still have 15 minutes left in the session, that we do." Kenshin came gently.

"We are done." Aoshi repeated, finally lifting his head to meet Kenshin's gaze, his icy blue stare replace by uncontrollable rage.

"So we are." Kenshin responded calmly, finally meeting the man capable of such extreme bouts of violence.

Aoshi stood up, seeing himself out of the office. As he closed the door behind him Kenshin let out the breath he had not been aware he was holding. Kenshin had seen that expression before. Aoshi had the look of a man who was willing to throw everything away. No. Not so much willing, as aiming. Yes. Aoshi was _aiming_ to throw his life away. Kenshin understood the feeling, more than he cared to, as he found his fingers tracing the scar on his left cheek. He also knew that if he did not act quickly with drastic measures that there would not be much time left. He only hoped that he was not too late, that Aoshi was not already too far gone.


	3. Know Thyself

_"It is said that if you know your enemies and know yourself, you will not be imperiled in a hundred battles; if you do not know your enemies but do know yourself, you will win one and lose one; if you do not know your enemies nor yourself, you will be imperiled in every single battle."_

_-Sun Tzu "The Art of War"-_

* * *

Aoshi stood silently, blankly staring at the door, on which was tacked a small, hand-written note. He gave an audible sigh as he re-read the note that was addressed to him. His face grew taut as he tried to figure out exactly what his therapist was up to.

_"Aoshi-_

_This one has gone to the local dojo downtown and thinks that you should come by, that you should."_

He gave another sigh. Nothing good could come of this.

As Aoshi entered the dojo he again instinctively took in his surroundings, memorizing every detail of the layout in an almost obsessive compulsive manner. The space was smaller than it appeared from the outside. There were very few people in the dojo, so it was not hard to find his therapist. Though, to Aoshi's surprise, it would not have been terribly difficult to spot him in a crowd. Granted Kenshin was short in stature for most men, and his vibrant red hair was unsettling. However these traits would not have set him apart from a crowd today. Oh no. Not today. Aoshi stood off in a corner of the dojo simply staring at his therapist, absorbing his attire. Kenshin wore a training uniform, which in itself was not abnormal for the environment. However the white hakama appeared to be extremely baggy, cinched tight at Kenshin's waist, making the man appear even more petite than normal. Even that was not the most unusual part of this man's outfit. His gi was…pink. Or was it magenta? Aoshi was unsure whether to be amused or unnerved.

Aoshi watched as Kenshin conversed with a young woman, not much taller than himself, dressed in a very plain, gray training uniform with her jet black hair pulled back in a high pony tail. Kenshin finally noticed that Aoshi had arrived and waved at him with an exuberant smile. Before dismissing himself Kenshin bowed to the young girl, who responded in like. Then Kenshin put his hands gently on her shoulders and put his forehead to hers, closing his eyes with a soft smile. Aoshi averted his eyes from the intimate display as something a bit like pain flashed across his face, gone unnoticed by the few witnesses in the area. Kenshin put his hand up in farewell to the girl as he began to walk towards Aoshi.

"So, you got this one's note!" Kenshin exclaimed, and Aoshi just nodded once silently.

"What…no tea?" Aoshi asked flatly, raising an eyebrow.

"Aoshi…was that a…joke?" Kenshin's eyes widened in bewilderment.

"…Aa." Aoshi responded coldly, a smirk twitching at the corner of his lips. Had he known this tactic would so easily confuse his opponent he would have used it earlier.

"Huh…" Kenshin chuckled, confusion still clearly written all over his face. "Well, this one already asked Kaoru-dono if she would bring us some after our session. We will need it, that we will." Aoshi just stared at him blankly, not liking where this was heading.

"So, we are having our session here?" Aoshi asked indifferently, though he could feel himself becoming vexed by the developing situation.

"Well, this one had originally considered a private library of sorts, but then thought better of it." Kenshin shrugged nonchalantly.

"So what exactly will we be doing?" Aoshi asked coolly, successfully concealing his mounting irritation and apprehension.

"You really should change." Kenshin smiled at Aoshi impishly. "Today we do some sparring."

Aoshi fought the immediate and violent urge to turn on his heals and exit the dojo, despite his better judgment. It aggravated him how this man managed to get so completely under his skin. Aoshi was always on the verge of having him figured out. But it would always fall apart, and he would be left even more perplexed than before. And it bothered Aoshi even more that he simply _refused_ to let it go…that he felt _driven_ to figure out this man. Why? Why him?

"Shouldn't you be steering me away from such violence?" Aoshi asked curtly.

"This one believes sparring will prove to be very therapeutic for you, that it will." Kenshin responded.

"Why?" Frustration strained Aoshi's voice as he became thoroughly convinced this man was purposely trying to break him.

"This one wishes to earn your respect, that he does." Sincerity rang in Kenshin's voice, and Aoshi pondered this for a moment.

"Fine." Aoshi finally conceded. "But I take every fight seriously, and will not hold back." His eyes narrowed in an icy stare.

"This one would not have it any other way." A confident smirk replaced Kenshin's sweeter smile.

Aoshi left to change. Upon returning to the main area Aoshi was met by Kenshin, who was holding two shinai, a smile playing across his face. The dojo had clear of the very few people who had been present earlier. Kenshin tossed one of the bamboo swords towards Aoshi, who snatched it easily in mid-flight. Aoshi watched as Kenshin bowed slowly and, out of habit, did the same. When Aoshi came back up he saw Kenshin had taken a ready stance, his smile swept away by a more serious look. Aoshi's pupils automatically dilated and his breath quickened as adrenaline rushed through his veins.

The two stood silently in their respective stances, staring at each other, waiting for the other to make the first move. In a blur Kenshin advanced, pushing Aoshi back several feet. Kenshin was shocked, however, that his blow had not landed as expected. Instinctively Aoshi had shifted his hand further up the shaft of his sword, making it shorter in length, thus allowing him to block the blow with ease. Aoshi glanced down at Kenshin with a smirk. Kenshin felt the pain without ever seeing the blow. The sharp pain in his abdomen caused him to double over and stagger back. He lifted his head as Aoshi closed the gap between them in one graceful stride. Kenshin steadied himself and raised his sword for the next attack. With lightening speed he made his move and the room resounded with a deafening crack as their swords met. Aoshi had blocked his attack again. Kenshin was more aware this time, assuming Aoshi would again take advantage of their close contact. In a flash Kenshin braced his left arm to block Aoshi's knee, attempting to land another blow to his abdomen. Aoshi used this opening to his advantage. Before Kenshin could back away to safety Aoshi backhanded him in the face, sending Kenshin into the far wall. As Kenshin slid to the floor a shriek filled the room.

"Kenshin!" The young girl Kenshin had been conversing with earlier appeared from the shadows, running towards him.

"Stay back!" Kenshin yelled gruffly, raising his hand for her to halt.

He stood slowly, his breathing labored. When he spoke again his voice was deeper than normal, his gaze remaining on Aoshi.

"Shinomori-san told this one he would not hold back, that he did." Kenshin narrowed his gaze at Aoshi who stood in a ready stance, his face placid and devoid of emotion.

"But Kenshin-" She began, but was cut off before she could protest any further.

"Please remove yourself, Kaoru-dono." Kenshin responded calmly. "This one has a feeling that this battle will be over soon enough, that it will." Kenshin gave Aoshi a meaningful glance, who simply nodded once in agreement.

Seeing the look in the two men's eyes the young woman reluctantly dismissed herself, worry filling her face. Kenshin wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth where Aoshi had struck him. He took a ready stance, but made no further move towards Aoshi.

"So. You made your sword shorter in length to mimic the defense of a kodatchi, and you use a form of kempo as your offense, that you do. Is that how you managed to handle yourself against so many?" He questioned.

"Aa." Aoshi's response was flat, but his gaze was vigilant on his opponent's stance and body language.

"Your technique has a weakness, though, that it does." Aoshi flinched imperceptibly, his vigilance slowly being replaced by irritation. "When you switch to offense you demonstrate a great deal of _physical_ strength but you disregard self-preservation. You become reckless, that you do." Kenshin paused, shifting his stance slightly. "Your desire to throw your life away makes you weak, Aoshi!" Kenshin shouted, pointing his sword at Aoshi.

"I am…weak?" The words came in an angry hiss, Aoshi no longer able to feign indifference.

"You need to wake up! This one is certain that whatever happened to you…whoever it is that you have lost…they would surely not be wishing for your death, that they would not." Kenshin stood ready, but still made no advance towards the man in front of him. "Your path to chaos and self-destruction will not bring them back, and is a poor attempt to compensate for your weakness!" Kenshin's expression became stern, as he braced himself for the reaction this insight would inevitably provoke.

"Shut up…" Aoshi retorted, the familiar rage burning in his ice-blue eyes.

"Your immediate and intense denial has just confirmed this truth, that it has." Kenshin responded in a calm, controlled tone…waiting.

"Shut up!" Aoshi screamed, slamming his foot into Kenshin's chest pushing him against the wall again.

"Does it make you feel better, Aoshi? Beating this one?" Kenshin sputtered, holding his chest.

"What would you know about how I feel?" Aoshi sneered, all traces of indifference broken away.

As Aoshi advanced, Kenshin flew towards him. When Aoshi closed the gap and prepared to land another blow with his fist Kenshin dipped down, sliding past Aoshi to land a blow to his lower back that sent him face first into the wall. Aoshi leapt from the floor to pivot towards Kenshin in one fluid move before charging towards him. Kenshin ran towards the opposite wall, Aoshi in pursuit. Reaching the wall he jumped, extending his right foot to land on the wall as he pushed off, sailing towards Aoshi. Slamming his sword into the side of Aoshi's head, he landed gracefully as Aoshi slid across the floor. Kenshin watched as Aoshi lay motionless for several minutes. Kenshin was about to approach out of concern when he finally pulled himself to his knees, making no further attempt to get up off the floor. His breathing was heavy as he held the weight of his bent frame with his extended hands, his back to Kenshin.

"Has this one knocked some sense into you?" The gentle smile finally appearing on his face.

"I believe…I will have a cup of tea now." Aoshi muttered, causing Kenshin to chuckle softly.

As if on cue, or perhaps because she had been waiting all along, the young woman entered the main area. She gasped, almost dropping the tea set, as she took in the seen of blood smears on the walls and floor. Seeing her obvious distress Kenshin immediately raised his hands nervously in a protective stance.

"Oh! Kaoru-dono!" Kenshin practically squeaked, his voice several octaves higher than it should have been. "Please don't be alarmed! We are both fine, that we are!" He chuckled nervously, hoping Aoshi would jump in. He didn't.

"What the hell did you _do_ to him?!" She shrieked, pointing at the comatose man slumped on the floor.

"Well…um…" But before Kenshin had the chance to explain the girl slugged him on the side of the head.

"Oro?!" Kenshin went to his knees, feeling dizzy, as the young woman set the tea set on the floor and stormed out.

The two men sat on the floor facing each other, battered and bloody, sipping their green tea in silence.

"I need to ask you something." Aoshi broke the peaceful silence, setting down his empty tea cup.

"Oro?" Kenshin blinked, pulled out of his own thoughts. "What is it?"

"How did you get that scar?" Aoshi eyed the x-shaped scar on Kenshin's left cheek as he reflexively touched it.

"How did you get yours?" Kenshin quipped, eyeing the scars on the exposed part of Aoshi's chest and collar bones.

Both men fell back into silence as they poured fresh cups of tea.


	4. The Reason Why

"Are you still upset at this one for winning the sparring match?" Kenshin asked, not bothering to look up from the paperwork on his desk.

"No." Aoshi responded flatly, narrowing his gaze imperceptibly over his tea cup.

"Oh, really?" Kenshin's eyebrow raised incredulously, but he still did not bother to look up.

"What are you doing?" Aoshi asked as nonchalantly as he could, wishing to change the subject.

To say Aoshi was _upset_ over the incident would have been…inaccurate. Aoshi was not so much _upset _over the loss as _livid_. Mostly because he did not comprehend the nature of his loss. He did not understand how this man had won their sparring match. Aoshi had thought over the whole incident, more often than he cared to admit, and the same words screamed in his mind over and over again, tormenting him: _your desire to throw your life away makes you weak._ He closed his eyes in an effort to block out the truth he did not want to hear…he wanted to die.

"It took some serious digging on this one's part, but this one managed to find your military records, that he did." Kenshin said cheerfully, breaking Aoshi's thoughts. "You, sir, are a very difficult man to research."

"The art of stealth and deception has its advantages." Aoshi responded indifferently, setting his empty tea cup down.

"Indeed it does." Kenshin agreed with a warm chuckle, finally looking up from the stack of papers. "And after reading, this one is sure that you wish to continue keeping your past concealed, that you do."

"Aa." Aoshi responded honestly, with the fear that this would not be honored.

"Which is precisely why this one had to work so hard to find out what happened to you." Aoshi flinched, wondering what exactly it was that his therapist had managed to find out as Kenshin's eyes went back to the papers. "You were an Okashira of a very small, elite group of shinobi…but…you went on hiatus and were declared a deserter." Aoshi stared in disbelief as he saw all of his failings laid before him. "It says that you left after a mission ended in one of your subordinates death." Kenshin looked up from the file, a empathetic look on his face.

"Is that all it says?" Aoshi's voice came hollow as he looked straight through Kenshin, who simply nodded.

"The subordinate's name…was Makimachi Misao." The voice came as a whisper, had Kenshin not already been looking at him he would not have known Aoshi had spoken. "She…" He faltered, unsure of what he was even doing. "We were gathering information on a target I had been searching for for years, Yukishiro Enishi. He was working with a rival group looking for an assassin by the name of Hitokiri Battōsai." Aoshi paused, casting his cold gaze to the floor, wondering what it was about this man that made him feel he could speak of this. "She was sent…" He began again. "Simply to confirm that Enishi was at the location, then send for backup to apprehend him and ascertain the whereabouts of the Battōsai." Aoshi stopped, putting his head down and pinching his eyes shut.

"He was the one who killed her." Kenshin filled the silence, Aoshi simply nodded the confirmation.

Kenshin sat at his desk, processing the information Aoshi had provided. Kenshin found it difficult to separate his own past experiences from this case. He knew he had felt a connection with Aoshi the minute the man had stopped outside his door, a kindred spirit in pain. But he could not have fathomed that their paths would be so strangely intertwined.

"But he did not make it that simple. It would have been a blessing to her if he had." Aoshi whispered before standing and approaching the desk, setting a piece of folded paper in front of Kenshin.

Kenshin unfolded the piece of paper, worn from having been read a thousand times before he assumed. He read the scrawl which was faded from time, but still legible. As he read the note his eyes shot towards Aoshi, who had again taken his seat and was staring back at him.

"He sent her corpse back to me with that note." Aoshi stated icily, the familiar numbness washing over him again.

"Aoshi, why are you sharing this now?" Kenshin asked, unaccustomed to Aoshi being so forthright.

"I don't know." Aoshi murmured.

Kenshin read the note again in disbelief. Suddenly, everything seemed to make sense, and Kenshin felt very deeply for the man sitting in his office.

_"Aoshi-_

_Yes, I know your name now. Your little whore kept screaming it out while I ravaged and tortured her. Such a sweet little lamb, I figured you would want her back when I was done with her._

_-Enishi"_

"You blame yourself, that you do." Kenshin stated, breaking the silence between the two men.

"Aa." Aoshi responded indifferently, as if this fact was hardly relevant to the situation.

"If you don't ease up on yourself and stop mourning over her you will be crushed by the guilt of letting her die, that you will…" Kenshin spoke gently, giving Aoshi a knowing look. "This one knows of what he speaks, that he does."

"Is it really that simple?" Aoshi asked, averting his gaze from Kenshin.

"No." Kenshin responded as he watched a single tear make its way down Aoshi's cheek.


	5. Epilogue: New Beginnings

He stood silently, feeling the warm summer breeze gently caress his hair. Closing his eyes, he turned his head upward to let the sun warm his face. It had been such a long time since he had felt much of anything. A part of him longed for the familiar cold indifference he had grown so accustom to. The other part reveled in the surprising fact that, after all this time, he could feel anything at all. Surprising, because he had willed his heart into decay long ago…so why did it hurt now? He sensed someone's approach but made no move from where he was, keeping his eyes closed.

"Himura." He murmured the greeting, though he had not wanted to disturb the peaceful silence.

"This one had a feeling you would be here, that he did." Kenshin's voice came low, just above a whisper.

After a moment Aoshi finally opened his eyes curiously, shifting his gaze to see Kenshin place white chrysanthemums on a small, unmarked grave. As Kenshin backed away to stand next to Aoshi the two fell back into silence. Kenshin eyed Aoshi with a side glance. The man was dressed in a tasteful white button-down shirt. The sleeves had been precisely rolled to just below the elbows, and the top buttons had been left unfastened. The shirt had been left un-tucked and paired with black slacks. And where those black Italian dress shoes? Kenshin raised an eyebrow dubiously as he noticed that to Aoshi's back was strapped a very ostentatious nodachi sword, much longer than he would have assumed Aoshi would prefer. Kenshin contemplated the man's sense of fashion before extending his hand to offer a styrofoam cup. Aoshi took it carefully and glanced down at Kenshin.

"Tea?" He asked, and Kenshin flashed a smile.

"Thank you…for the flowers." Aoshi spoke, keeping his icy gaze on the cup in his hands. "She would have liked them." Kenshin simply nodded.

"She was always trying to get me to smile." Aoshi stated, a level of detachment forming in his voice.

"You must have been very important to her." Kenshin responded with a warm smile, the breeze catching his hair.

"Aa. She had said as much on several occasions." Aoshi said coolly.

"Was she ever successful?" Kenshin asked earnestly, though he could not imagined that someone as stoic as Aoshi would be capable of a smile.

"Once." Aoshi conceded, taking a sip of his tea. "But she never saw it." Kenshin saw something like regret in Aoshi's eyes.

"This one is sure that she knew how much you cared for her, that she did." Kenshin assured gently in an attempt to comfort the man.

"I didn't know…" Aoshi's gaze narrowed, murmuring so low that Kenshin had missed what he had said.

"Aoshi?" Kenshin gave a concerned look, perceiving the subtle change in his demeanor.

"How?" Aoshi responded curtly. "How could she have _possibly_ known, when I did not know myself." He paused, glancing back down at his cup. "Until it was too late."

"So you never told her." Kenshin surmised.

"Told her what, exactly." Aoshi asked, finally turning his head to look directly at Kenshin.

"That you loved her…very much….that you did." With that Aoshi inhaled sharply, dropping his gaze back down before speaking again.

"…No. Never." He faltering in his answer, remembering all of the missed opportunities he would never get back.

"But you are telling this one, that you are." Kenshin pointed out.

"Aa." He responded, stupefied by this fact.

"Why?" Kenshin asked, an inquisitive look on his face.

"I don't know." Honesty resounded in his voice, pondered this himself as they fell back into silence.

"I never even went to her funeral." Aoshi finally came, nonchalant, as he took another sip of his tea.

"Aoshi, why do you insist on holding on to your guilt?" Kenshin asked pointedly, refusing to buy into Aoshi's stoicism over this fact.

"Because…" Aoshi began. "It is the only thing I have left." He stated hollowly.

"It is also killing you, that it is." Kenshin whispered, his voice carried on the gentle summer breeze.

"And what if that is what I deserve?" His words came harsh, causing Kenshin to frown slightly.

"Aoshi…" Kenshin came with gentle concern. "Do you really believe in what you say?"

"I would not have said it if I did not." Aoshi stated, a hint of frustration in his voice.

"This one believes you, that he does." Kenshin came confidently, having already predicted Aoshi's response. "But…" Kenshin continued, more delicate in his next approach. "This one wonders if Misao-dono would approve of you ending your life." Aoshi went to open his mouth in response, but closed it with an audible sigh of defeat.

"You cannot rely on your own willpower to continue on living with your psyche as it is now. To do so would be forfeiting your life, that it would." Kenshin spoke matter-of-factly.

"What do you suggest I do?" Aoshi asked, and for the first time Kenshin sensed how lost and vulnerable this man truly was.

"Do not allow her spirit to be dishonored by making her your reason for ending your life." Kenshin began empathetically. "But let her memory be the reason you keep moving forward. And this one promises that, in time, you will be able to stand on your own two feet again, that you will." Aoshi's expression became pensive as he processed Kenshin's words and allowed them to sink in.

"My desire for death becoming my reason for living…" Aoshi murmured and, to his surprise, he found himself willing to embrace this way of…life. "I believe…" He came confidently. "That is what she would have wanted." He nodded once, his face placid.

"So, now that our time together is done, what do you plan to do?" Kenshin asked, his gaze turned forward into the distance.

"I think I will begin practicing meditation." Aoshi's response genuinely surprised Kenshin. "And I would very much like to wander the countryside."

"Those are both healthy ways of rediscovering one's self, that they are." Kenshin smiled brightly. "And although this one has never done meditation himself, the latter is highly recommended, that it is!" As the two prepared to part ways Kenshin handed Aoshi a small card.

"To keep in touch on your travels." Kenshin stated as Aoshi accepted the business card silently. "If you ever need anything, do not hesitated to contact this one." Aoshi nodded, and with that he began to walk away into the distance.

"Remember! Healthy coping skills!" Kenshin shouted after him.

Without turning around, or losing his graceful stride, Aoshi raised his right fist high in the air to display his middle finger to Kenshin. Kenshin, taken completely off guard by the unexpected parting gift, began to laugh hysterically. After a moment he wiped the tears from his eyes and gave a sigh.

"This one thinks he will be just fine." Kenshin said to himself with another smile, hoping that it would not be too long before their paths crossed again.

**Owari…?**


End file.
